Steam-heating system.



J. F. McELROY, DECD.

s. H. McELROY, EXECUTRIX.

STEAM HEATING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION HLED AUG. I4. 1911.

1,161,872. Patented Nov. 30, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET I WITNESSES: INVENTOR W I BY Z J. F. McELROY, DECD.

s. n. McELROY, sxscunux.

STEAM HEATING SYSTEM.

APPLI CATION FILED AUG.I4. m1. Patentd Nov 9 5 4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Q ID Q CHIIQ Fig.5

WITNESSES: v INVENTOR.

- "m Wag/h? @524 1 BY gi J. F. McELROY. DEC'D.

STEAM HEATING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. [4. 1911'.

4SHEETS-SHEET 3- fi HUI fl 005 WITNESSES: INVENTOR- Patented Nov. 30, 1915.

J. F. McELROY DECD.

s. n. McELROY, EXECUTRIX.

STEAM HEATING SYSTEM. "memo" r1110 Aue.14. 1911.

Patented 'Nov. 30, 1915.

4 SHEETSSHEET 4.1

INVENTOR WITNESSES:

ATTY

mam-En s r 'r s r i E r forricn.

JAMES E. McELROY, E ALBANY, NEW YORK; SUSIE IiALE MeEEEoY, EXEGUTRIX or sAID JAMES E. MCELBOY, DECEASED, AssIe-non 'ro [CONSOLIDATED CAR-HEATING COMPANY, A CORPORATION or WEST VIRGINIA.

STEAM-HEATING STEM.

menses.

To allwhom it may concern-i Be it known that I, JAMES F. Molilnnor,

a citizen'of the United'States, residingat. Albany, county ofAlbany, State of New a York, have invented certain new and useful.

Improvements in Steam-Heating Systems, the following being a full, clear, and exact disclosure of the one form of my invention I Figure l is a diagrammatic representation of my improved system; Figs.- 2, 3 and 4: are detailsthereof in section; Fig. v5 represents a planof the car piping; Fig. 6 is a transverse section of the carshowing the 0 pipes in position; Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic representation of a modified form of'the in-' vention; Fig. 8 is a sectional view ofthe:

pressure trap, Fi g. 9 is a trans'versesectional view of the radiator Illustrated in Fig. 7 a

5 line being taken longitudinally through the man1fold;-F1g. 10 1s a deta l sectional VIEW.

taken at right angles to Fig. 9, and Fig. 11

' is a detail front view of a portion of the manifold, parts being broken away and 0 shown in section. I Y

My invention relates to a heating system designed particularly for railway cars which may be readily converted from a vapor system wherein the thermostatic "trap conb trols-the inflow of steam to the-radiators to a pressure system in which the thermostatic trap controls the outflow of steam from the radiators. It involves, moreover, an arrangement whereby from one or more points 0 along the length of a set of radiating pipes a shunt connection may be established at will to conduct the steam directly to the vapor trap thereby practically putting out of action all of the radiating pipes beyond the 5point at which tablished. V

principal arrangements just mentioned;

Specification of Letters Patent.

the shunt connection is es-. 1

, Patented Na. 30,1915.

Application filed August 14, 1911.- SerialNo. 643,888.

represents the train pipe of a car-heating system from which a-branch pipe B goes di rectlyi to theivapor-trap VT. I Thence, as- I sumingthatth'e admission port of the said vapor-trap is'open, the steam passes by the outlet pipe C to the pipe H, through a control valve C and from the pipe H it passes through a series of horizontal radiating pipes E, E E E E to the outlet'pipe K leading to the' pressure-trap PT. In the aforesaid horizontal radiating pipes there is placed at a convenient point-for instance, at the center of the cara vertical manifold Fiintersecting the length of pipe at the'several successive points, which points are therefore at different pressures whileat each point the pipe may be put into communicatiom-by V manifold" which chamber has an outlet connection A directly to the vapor-trap VT, theoutflow'of steam from the said pipe serving to determine the action of the thermostatic regulator in the trap. By this meansa shunt connection may be established from any one of a series of intermediate points means of a; valve, with achamber in the of different pressure along'the length of the radiator-pipe directly to the vapor-trap. f

In Fig. 2 there is shown a'section of the V r aforesaid manifold. It comprises a casting with. a vertical series of four chambers which form respectively a section or continuation "of the several horizontal pipes E E E E. Each of these chambers communicates, by means of a port or passage 6, wlth alarge chamber S, the passage 6 being preferably introduced into the upper part of the pipechamber so as to receive the steam therefrom, while allowlng the water of condensa tion to remain 111 the pipe and flow through the series of pipes to the outlet pipe K and the pressure-trap PT. Each of thepassages e is controlled by a valve Each of these valves therefore serves to control a shunt connection from a point along the length of the'radiating pipes through the chamber S toithe pipe A leading'to the vapor-trap,

My invention also involves several special In Fig; at there is shown a section of the features which maybe associated iviththe i .5 pipes E E E may be restricted by transcock for cleaning out the Fig. 3at the left of the trap.

i a valve R controlling the flow of steam from the train-pipe branch B,throughthe chambers b and 0, to the pipe C which leads to the radiator; lhe aforesaid shunt pipe A enters the chamber at in the trap and passes down therefrom to the thermostat, so that the action of the thermostat is dependent upon the outflow of steam from the-radiator through the aforesaid shunt pipe A.

Fig. 3 shows a section of the pressuretrap wherein the thermostat in the bottom of the trap controls the outflow from the terminal pipeK of the radiating system and which outflow is also a determining agency forthe thermostat, being allowed to pass down through the control-valve :into the thermostat and, by virtue of its temperature, cause the thermostat to operate in accordance with the degree of that temperature. -'VVhen the outflow is at a high temperature, the

thermostat will tend to expand and close the outlet valve and, conversely, to open the saidvalvewhen the temperature of the out-.

flow is at a predetermined lower degree.

The pipe D. leads from the train-pipe branch B to a dead-end chamber in the pressuretrap, and serves to keep the trap warm and prevent its freezing by the heat of the live steam in the pipe D. An ordinary. blow-off pipe is shown in The operation of the systemabove describedis as follows: If all of the valves f radiator is controlled at the outlet by means of the pressure-trap. The vapor-trap VT will, under those circumstances, remain 7 open, since no steam will be admitted thereto through the shunt pipe A. If, however,

the bottom valve 7 is open, the steam from the lower radiating pipe E? will flow directly into the chamber S and thence through the shuntpipe A to the vapor-trap VTfThe system will'then become a vapor system, since the trap VT is in control and operates upon the, admission or inflow end of the radiator-pipes. The water of condensation will, however, flow largely on wholly through the said pipe K to the pres sure trap by reason of the fact that port 6 leading from the lower radiator pipe E, to the shunting chamber S of the manifold departs from the top side or upper part of the 'pipechamber inthe manifold which cham-- ber is entered by and communicates with the "radiatoi pipe E.

Moreover, as will be expl'ained hereafter, the pipe E as well as a car through the pipes enters achamber it in the T ports leading respectively to the branch and G.

' trap,

verse internal flanges extending partly across the pipe in the manner shown in Figs. 8, 9. and 10 wherein such flanges are represented as applied tocertain pipes E? and G at the point where it enters the manifold so that the steam may be diverted into chamber S and shunt pipe A in a more positive manner. In thearrangeme'nt shown in Fig. 1 the radiator-pipes extend from end to'end of the car and are connected in series, so that when the valves 7" are all closed) the steam will flow through them in succession before reaching'the terminal pipe K leading to the pressure-trap. The radiator-pipes may. however. be arranged as in Fig. 7 wherein the inflow stream from the pipe H'branches and flows in opposite directions to the re spective ends of the car through the pipes EG respectively. Froinfthe ends of the car t-he steam flows back by the pipes E and G to the manifold which, in this figure is marked F again branches to-the opposite end of the and G and returns again to the'manifold by the pipes E and G In the T between the pipeH and the branch pipes E and GI preferably provide a restricted opening into each of the branch pipes E and G, as appears more clearly in the sections through the"? shown in Fig. 11. As is clearly shown in this figure the pipe H from whichthe pipes and Gare restricted by means of flanges g projecting inwardly fromthe sides of the'chamber it at points immediately adjacent to the ends of the entering pipes E By th1s means the steam flow will be equally divided between the outflow branches E and Similarly in the manifold F (see igs. 9 and 10) the outflow into the branch pipes E and G is restricted by flanges g which serveto equally divide the outflow between the two branch pipes and to divert the steam flow from the space between pipes E and G into the chamber S when the corresponding valve 7 is opened. I

From the manifold the steam The manifold employed in thearrangement of Fig. 7- is shown at F, a section thereof being represented in Fig. 9., "It is similar in its character to the manifold'F,

heretofore described in connection with the arrangement of Fig. -ltl at is'to say, each radiating pipe which passes through the manifold may be put in communication with a chamber S by means of avalve f and the steam thereby shunted through the chamber S and the pipe A to the vapor trap. 7 1.1, however, the manifold, which'is desig nated as F gisslightly different in that it contains a passage communicating with the under side of the lower radiator pipe G whichserves to connect said pipe G with the terminal'pipe K leading to the pressure- Whereas in the arrangement of Fig. 7

In Fig.

which employs the manifold F, the terminal pipe K has a separate connection with the lower radiating pipeGr outside of the manifold.

Asappears in Fig. 5, the train pipe Z passes centrally through the car in a. longitudinal direction and the branch pipe B there from extends in opposite directions toward the respective sides of the car, each side being provided with. a system of radiating pipes arranged as in Fig. 7 and with a separate set of vapor and pressure-traps and manifold as I have heretofore described.

Fig. 6 shows the same arrangement that appears in Fig. 5, but represents the apparatus as it appears in a sectional view taken 7 transversely of the car at a Doint on one side tion may retain some heat from the water therein, but will 'no longer be, positively heated by the steam, it being my discovery that, by merely opening a shuntpassage for the steam from a point in the radiator to the vapor-trap, that trap will then so adjust-the inflow that it will penetrate through the radiator only to the point where the shunt passage is taken ofl", even though there still remains an open passageway through the remainder of the radiator to the terminal pipe K and the pressure-trap, which passageway may still be followed by the water. This is due to the pipe resistance and to the pressure required to overcome it. The radiator pipe is of considerable length, so that even if it opens at its outlet end into the atmosphere, the pressure at its inlet end must be above atmosphere while at the intermediate point or points where the one .or

"more shunting connections are taken off the pressure will be at some intermediate valve I sufficient to divert the steam flow into the shunt leading to the vapor trap.' In other words, the adjustment of heating capacity in the radiator involves, not merely acutting out of service of a portion of the radiator-pipe, but also an automatic adjustment of the steam inflow proportionate to the length of radiator-pipe that is thus cut out or shunted and the length of the part that is cut out or not shunted.

I do not limit myself to the particular forms shown and described herein but may utilize in a variety of forms the matter invented by me and stated in following claims covering what I consider as new and 1 in communication with said radiatorserving as the outlet therefor. I I

2. A heating system comprising a radiator provided with an inlet and an outlet pipe, a valve controlling said inlet-pipe, a thermostat for operating said valve, a ther mostatic valve for said. outlet pipe con-- trolled by the medium escaping through said outlet'pipe, a shunt pipe leading from an intermediate portion of said radiator to said thermostat, a plurality of connections between said radiator and said shunt pipe, and means for independently controlling the admission of heating medium from said radiator to' said shunt pipe, the latter when in communication withsaid radiator serving as the outlet therefor, I

3. A heating system comprising a radiator, a vapor trap provided with a thermostatic valve controlling the inlet to said radiator, a pressure trap controlling the outlet ofsaid radiator, anda plurality of shunt connections located at points of different pressure along the radiator, for shunting the outflow ofthe radiator from the pressure trap to the vapor trap.

4. A heating system comprising a radiator, a vapor trap provided with a thermostatic valve controlling the inlet to said radiator, a pressure trap controlling the outlet of said radiator, and a plurality of shunt connections located at points'of difi'erent pressure along the radiator, for shunting the outflow of the radiator from the pressure trap to the vapor trap, and valves for controlling the respective shunt connections.

5. A heating system comprising a radiator, a vapor trap provided witha thermostatic valve controlling the inlet to said radiator, a pressure trap controlling the outlet of said radiator, a plurality of shunt connections located at points of difierent pressure along the radiator for shunting the outflow of the radiator from the pressure trap to the vapor trap, saidshunt connections being located at points above the flow of condensation.

6; In a heating system, the combination said radiator, anoutlet pipe leading from one end of said radiator, a thermostatic pressure trap controlling the outlet from said outlet pipe, and one or more shunt connections from the top of the radiator pipes at one or more points of 'diflerent pressure, and means for, diverting the steam from said shunt pipe connections to the vapor trap and the water to the said pressure tra o 7911i a heating system, the combination with a radiator, of a vapor trap having a thermostatic valve controlling the inlet to said radiator, an outlet pipe leading from one end of said radiator, a thermostatic pressure trap controlling the outlet from said outlet pipe, and one or m'ore shunt connections from the top of theradiator pipes at one or more points of different pressure, and means for diverting the steam from eachof said points to the vapor trap, leaving the water to follow the course of the radiator to the pressure trap.

8. A heating-system comprising a radiator, a vapor trap provided with a thermostatic valve controlling the inlet' to said radiator, a pressure trap controlling -the outlet of said radiator, a manifold applied to'the radiator and intersecting the radiator at a plurality of points of different pressure in the radiator, means controlling the communication between said radiator and manifold at said points, and a conduit leading from said in the compartment applied to the radiator and intersecting the radiator at a plurality of points of different pressure in the radiator, means controlling the communication between said radiator and manifold at said points, and a conduit leading from said manifoldto said thermostat. I

10. A heating system comprising a radiator provided with an inlet and an outlet pipe,

avalve controlling said inlet pipe, a thermostat for operating said valve, a thermostatic valve controlling said outlet pipe, a manifold intersecting the radiator at a plurality of points of different pressure, a shunt pipe leading from said manifold to said thermostat, and means controlling the admission of steam from said radiator to said manifold.

11. In a heating system the combination with a radiator, of a thermostat controlling the inflow thereto, a discharge pipe leading from one end of said radiator, a thermostat controlling the same, a second discharge pipe leading from the radiator to the first-men tioned thermostaa a plurality of shun C 1 nectio'ns between said second discharge pipe and a corresponding number of points of different pressure in the radiator, and means for diverting the flow from the radiator at said points to the second discharge pipe.

121111 a heating system, the combination with aradiator, of a thermostatic vapor trap controlling the inflow thereto, a thermostatic pressure trap controlling the outflow of said radiator, and connections provided with restricted ports from two or more points of different'pressure in the length of the radiator pipe leading to said vapor trap to shunt the outflow of the radiator from said pressure trap. e

13. In a heating system, the combination with a s'eriesof radiator pipes in theapartment to be heated arranged vertically one above another, a vertical manifold intersecting the radiator pipes at points of different pressure, and having a chamber in controllable communication with said radiator pipes at the points of intersection therewith, a thermostatic vapor trap controlling the inflow to the radiator, a thermostatic pressure trap controlling the outflow of said radiator, and a pipe connecting said vapor trap with the manifold chamber to shunt the outflow of the radiator from said pressure trap.

14. In a heating system, the combination with a series of radiator pipes in an apartment to be heated, arranged vertically one above the other and inter-connected at their outer ends, an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe for said radiator pipes, a vertical manifold intersecting said pipes at points of different pressure and having a chamber in controllable communication with the said pipes at the points of intersection therewith, a thermostatic valve with the inlet pipe, a thermostatic valve for the outlet pipe controlled by the medium escaping through said outlet pipe, and a pipe connecting the chamber of the manifold with the inflow. controlling thermostat, said pipe serving as'the outlet for the radiator when the manifold is in communication with the latter.

15. In a heating system the combination ofa radiator, a manifold intersecting the radiator pipes at separated points of diflerent pressure in its length and provided with flanges adjacent to and opposite the ends of the radiator pipes within the manifold, controlling means controlling the inflow to said radiator, and a connection from said manifold to said controlling means. I

16. In a steam heating system, the combination with a radiator pipe having two or more sections in series, of an inlet valve, a thermostat controlling said valve, a discharge .pipe for said radiator, a thermostatic valve controlling the discharge therefrom, a second discharge pipe leading from said radiator to said thermostat, one or more shunt connections to said second discharge pipe leading from one or more intermediate my hand, before two subscribing Witnesses, junction poinltls of {the said sectilons, and this 11th day of August, 1911. valves contro in t e sai severa conneci tions for divertin g the outflow of the radia- JAMES MOELROY' 5 tor from the thermostatic outlet valve to the Witnesses:

thermostat controlling the inlet valve. 7 HERBERT A. CALKINS,

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set CLARENCE PALMER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. G. 

